


Fics of February 2020

by Pumpkinnubbin



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drabbles, F/F, Fluff, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 9,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22525690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pumpkinnubbin/pseuds/Pumpkinnubbin
Summary: A collection of ficlets borne from a prompt list that was shared on discord, spanning the length of February. Blackhill, obviously. All fluff, no angst.
Relationships: Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 83
Kudos: 201





	1. Falling

**Author's Note:**

> The first prompt was Falling and I refuse to go with the obvious so this somehow happened instead. I don't know either, but it is cute and not angsty and that's a win in my book.

Natasha was falling. Not off any buildings or cliffs or high places, not flat on her face from tripping over something. It was nothing quite so simple or literal. No, Natasha was falling every time she caught sight of Maria. Her stomach felt funny, like when she was leaping over rooftops or taking off in a jet, and there was always a moment of breathlessness she associated with jumping off buildings. Those moments just before she’d grab somewhere safe to hold onto or her zipline would secure her and catch her out of her free fall. 

“I feel like I’m falling,” she told Clint one day. 

“Falling?”

She only made a vague hum of affirmation without adding any more details. She couldn’t place the feeling yet, at least not to anything other than _falling._

“Good or bad?”

“I don’t know.”

That was the end of that particular conversation. Clint didn’t press and Natasha had nothing else to offer. 

It was a whole month later that Natasha brought anything up again, though Clint didn’t immediately realize it was related. She’d asked him what it had been like to fall in love with Laura; how he’d known at all. He’d told her all the little signs and the bigger ones and how it made his insides feel funny to be around her. Butterflies, he’d said, and Natasha wondered if that might not be the same as falling. 

The feeling was beginning to get worse the more time Natasha was forced to spend around Maria due to work, not that she had any complaints to voice. There was a thrill to it, to feeling like she might not make the jump or actually keep in a state of free fall. In the end, Natasha decided to seek her out more. Maybe she was turning into a junkie. 

“You’re around often lately,” Maria noted after a short but tiring sparring session with her. “Any reason?”

Natasha looked at her, watched sweat drip down her face and the way her hair clung to her skin. She was falling. 

“Nope.”


	2. Blood

Of all the things Natasha had expected when returning to her apartment, finding blood on her floor hadn’t been one of them. She’d expected Liho at her door, wanting in, or maybe a note or two from the neighbours complaining about the cat. She’d told no one about this place; not even Clint. This was all hers. Her safe haven, hidden away from the world, a secret to even the Avengers. Natasha wasn’t sure what to expect. This was bad but she had yet to determined just how bad. Friend or foe? 

She made her way further into her apartment, her gun drawn in front of her as she took one slow step after another. She followed the trail of blood into her bedroom. The door was ajar and even in the semi darkness she could make out the form collapsed on her bed. She turned on the light and cursed softly at the sight of Hill. 

Maria was no longer bleeding but the bandage she’d wrapped around her leg was soaked. She expected her bathroom was a bloody mess. She took in the state of her and tried to judge how bad the injuries were. Maria’s leg wasn’t the only thing that was wrapped up. Her right hand had a bandage around it, as did her left forearm, and her face was still bloody too. 

Natasha decided to let her sleep and clean up after her instead. She started with the bathroom and then cleaned the floor everywhere else before coming back to keep an eye on Maria. They’d need to talk in the morning. Natasha had questions. 


	3. Sunlight

Natasha always woke up first, usually a little before sunrise. Today was no exception. She stretched and sat up, letting the blanket fall into her lap without disturbing the woman still fast asleep next to her. The sun was just starting to rise, the first rays of light spilling in through the window. This was Natasha’s favorite time of the day. Maria was asleep, her hair covering half her face, and the sun shining on her. Natasha loved seeing her like this. There was no stress on her features, no tension in her body. There was never a time when Maria looked more relaxed and at peace than now. Natasha never wanted to miss a single day of being able to see her like this. It made her get up in the morning and kept her going through rough days and rougher missions. 

Maria eventually stirred awake from the sunlight in her eyes and she stretched before covering a yawn with her hand. 

“Awake already?” She mumbled into her pillow, smiling softly. 

Natasha chuckled and moved Maria’s hair out of her face to press a kiss to her temple. 

“You look way too pretty so early in the morning.”

Maria snorted ungracefully and Natasha smiled. In private, Maria was so far removed from Commander Hill it was almost comical. Natasha loved that too. 

“It’s the sunlight; makes you look ethereal.”

“Now I know you’re joking.”

“I’m not! You in the early morning sun is my favorite look on you.”

“I thought me in my S.H.I.E.L.D. suit was.”

“Close second,” Natasha said with a smile. 

Maria rolled over and smiled back at Natasha. For all her reputation as a heartless killer, Natasha could be terribly sappy and she was well aware of it. Maria just brought that out in her. 

“Gorgeous.”

Maria just smiled and then moved to press a kiss against Natasha’s shoulder. Getting up early was always worth it for moments like these. 


	4. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty short even compared to the previous ones but it's just a cute little snippet.

Natasha loved the rain. Maria had learned that fairly soon after meeting her, when she’d caught her on the flight deck of the helicarrier in the middle of a downpour with the most content expression she’d seen on her up to that point. Maria had watched her for a good ten minutes. Natasha had stood and watched the waves, soaked to the bone and happy. It was the first time Maria had seen a person underneath the hardened exterior Natasha normally presented. As much as Natasha liked to pretend she was untouchable and a soulless assassin, mostly so she’d be left alone, there was more to her humanity than that. The rain washed the facades off and left only Natasha behind, no trace of the Black Widow to be seen. Maria liked that. She’d tried to find her whenever it rained after that point, to see more of the woman beneath. 

Now they sat together in the rain, out on the porch of the cabin they’d rented for the weekend. Natasha wore the same peaceful expression on her face as she always did in moments like these and Maria was watching her fondly. She’d never grow tired of it. When Natasha got up, Maria raised a curious eyebrow. The redhead just laughed and went out into the rain, immediately getting drenched. Her hair and clothes stuck to her but she looked happier than Maria had seen her in recent weeks. Natasha flopped down into the grass and grinned at Maria when she joined her. These were her favorite moments in time, and they were Natasha’s too. 


	5. Leaf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for Natasha being adorable over things she's properly experiencing for the first time

Maria hadn’t realized just how carefree and childish Natasha could be at times. Not in the same way Clint was with his antics or even Tony at times. Natasha’s was a lot more innocent. The way her eyes sparkled at the smallest things reminded Maria of kids who just saw snow for the first time. It was magical. She loved discovering things that put that expression on Natasha’s face. The first had been a Disney movie (Mulan but Maria always pretends not to remember), then it had been a simple homemade pizza, a kitten licking her hand, and a butterfly that got lost in her apartment. Maria thought it was terribly sweet and a side of Natasha very few people had the privilige of seeing. 

It was the second week of August when Maria added another thing to her ever-growing list: leaves. Piles of leaves, to be more specific. They’d passed by the park on their way back to Maria’s place and had walked past a group of children throwing themselves into piles of leaves, giggling and laughing happily. Natasha had stopped in her tracks to watch and Maria had watched her. Maria had taken the next few days to ammass enough leaves in her backyard to rake a pile together. When Natasha came over that evening, her eyes were wide and she looked all-around happy upon seeing the pile. She turned back to Maria who smiled softly and nodded at the leaves. Natasha kissed her cheek and then ran into the pile, letting herself fall into it and be cushioned by all of the leaves. She rolled onto her back and spread her arms wide, laughing. Maria leaned against the door and watched her with an amused expression. She grabbed her phone and took a picture of the scene. Natasha was just too cute not to. She hoped to see much more of that in their future. 


	6. Wind

It had been stormy for six straight nights now. The rain was hitting the windows loudly, waking them up more than once, and the wind kept howling past the corners of their apartment building. It was awful and depressing and it was rarely much better during the day. 

Natasha hated it. She jumped everytime the wind was strong enough to rattle their blinds and she hadn’t gotten a single good night’s rest since the storms started. She was fed up and upset. Maria was handling it much better than her which made her feel stupid. 

The only good thing about this whole ordeal was that she got to cuddle Maria whenever it was too windy outside without Maria teasing her about feeling cuddly. She liked resting against Maria. She was warm and comfy and soft and never failed to calm Natasha down without even needing to try. She was envious of that too. It made her nights a little better at least. She’d startle awake and snuggle into Maria who always held her protectively. 

It was a particular bad night regarding the storms. Natasha curled up around Maria and tried to ignore the whipping sounds of the wind. It wasn’t working very well. She grabbed Maria’s shirt and hid her face in her neck when a particularly bad bout of rain hit the windows. Maria didn’t wake up but she did wrap her arms around Natasha a little closer and held her a little tighter. She nuzzled into her hair and shifted in her sleep to tangle their legs together. Natasha may be a bit of a cuddler but Maria turned into a complete koala during the night. Natasha breathed against her skin and forced herself to relax in her arms. Maria would keep her safe, even from her own irrational fears of storms. 


	7. Ice

Despite being Russian, Natasha hated the cold. She tolerated snow at best, unless it crystallized on the windows where she could look at the individual snowflakes closely without them melting. Maria had asked her once why she disliked it all so much and Natasha’s answer had torn at her heart. Her initial response had been a simple “too many bad memories” but then she’d expanded on that and Maria had pulled her into a hug. She hadn’t mentioned it since but she had found ways to work around that hatred. Maria was a problem solver after all. 

As it turned out, as much as she hated the cold, Natasha liked ice. She liked going ice skating as long as it wasn’t too cold, and she was fascinated by icicles, though Maria was somewhat certain that was mostly for its potential as a weapon. Still, she’d take it. She bribed her with hot chocolate when it was just cold enough that Natasha argued about going outside, even to head to the ice rink. She certainly had to do a lot of bribing when it was snowing. It worked most times, too. 

Maria loved watching her on the ice. Natasha was so graceful, it always took her breath away. She looked happy when she was here, skating around and skillfully avoiding the other people until she came back to her with wide eyes and pink cheeks asking for the hot chocolate Maria had promised her. She thought that was rather worth it to drag her out here year and year again. 


	8. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this isn't angsty at all!! It's not even sad. Part of my original idea for this prompt ran away with me when I realized I could use it for something completely harmless, and as a result I may have missed the mark a little bit. I might write the original idea at some point but for now, here's today's prompt :)

Maria was sitting in her favorite armchair, reading whatever book it was that currently held her attention. Natasha couldn’t read the title from her angle but she knew her well enough to hazard a guess. It was most likely a murder mystery of some kind or another. Maria had recently gotten obsessed with those. She enjoyed trying to figure out who did it and why. She was usually right. 

Natasha watched her from her spot at the bar, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands to warm her cold fingers. Maria’s brow furrowed in concentration and Natasha’s lips tugged up into a soft smile. This meant one of two possible things: either the book just threw her for a loop with information that doesn’t make sense, or Maria was stumped. The latter didn’t happen often. Even the most convoluted plot lines had to make some sort of sense in the end and not everything was always important. Maria was excellent at picking out what did matter and logic her way from there. Natasha didn’t care to. She could, if she wanted, but she found the whole thing trivial. It either wasn’t much of a mystery to begin with or it was bad in all the wrong ways. She preferred horror herself. 

Natasha moved to join Maria, settling half her butt onto the armrest to get a peek at the words. Maria glanced up when she was done with a paragraph and smiled at the sight of her. Natasha returned it. 

“Good?”

Maria nodded and told her what had happened so far. Natasha just listened with a smile, watching Maria’s expression shift as she went over some details that clearly intrigued her. 

“So who did it?”

“The brother, definitely. Killed his sister for the family money, except he’s not entitled to anything because the parents disowned him before they died but never had the chance to inform him.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow and looked down at the book. Maria was only halfway through. 

“O-kay. Well, at least if I get murdered under some weird ass curcumstances, I’ll rest in peace knowing you’re on the case. Or the killer. This could really pan out either way.”

“Oh, shup up,” Maria smiled. 

Natasha chuckled, kissed her head, and went to sit on the couch with her hot chocolate. 


	9. Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! I also had no real idea how to finish this one so if it seems odd, sorry about that. I tried.

  
Natasha was truly, thoroughly panicking. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like that. When Clint had been compromised? No, that had been less bad than now. Ultron? No, not either. Natasha came up blank. She had never in her life been so overwhelmed and panicked. 

“Natasha, stop that! You’re driving me mad,” Maria snapped. 

Natasha opened her mouth to say something and immediately clamped it shut again. She walked up to the hospital bed and grabbed her hand, eyes still blown wide in her panic. She forced herself to breathe. 

“I swear to fuck, babe, I will shoot you if you keep this up.”

The nurse looked at them with a confused and amused, if slightly alarmed expression but Natasha just laughed and kissed Maria’s cheek. 

“Sorry. I’m just… you know...”

Maria rolled her eyes: “I’m kicking you out if you can’t keep calm.”

“No! No, babe, I’ll be better.”

The nurse smiled to herself and finished setting everything up. Natasha kept out of the way and worked on calming down. Maria was fine. She didn’t want to miss anything. She wanted to be there with her. It wasn’t like she was doing the difficult part either; that was all Maria. 

“Alright, this should help get you ready. If not, we’ll do it again in four hours.”

Maria nodded and squeezed Natasha’s hand with a grin. Seeing her so out if it was cute but not helpful. 

“You ready for this?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“Reassuring… You’ll be great, Nat. So great.”

Natasha was ready to argue but didn’t bother. She didn’t feel ready at all but she did trust Maria. After all, she’d never do this if she didn’t think Natasha was up for it.   
  


* * *

  
It took eight more hours before Maria was ready and moved to another room, Natasha in tow. It took two more hours from there before the room was filled with loud screams and crying. The nurse put a tiny bundle with very strong lungs into Maria’s arms and Natasha forgot how to breathe. She blinked the tears away and watched Maria with their son in her arms, looking at him with all the adoration Natasha felt for both of them. Their son. Natasha could hardly believe it, even as she looked down at the two of them. 

“He’s perfect…”

“Yes, he is,” Maria smiled, touching his tiny cheek. 

Natasha just continued staring. She had a son. 


	10. Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many ways to go with this one but this is the first thing that actually came to mind so they just get to be adorable some more.

  
Sometimes all Natasha wanted to do after a long day at work was shower and fall into bed and then sleep for a day. She very rarely got to do that though, sadly. There were alternatives; curling up with a blanket and reading was a good one. Tonight, she got her favorite other option. Maria was home after a mission that had kept her away for almost a month, and that meant they were finally able to spend time together. It also meant that Maria was dead on her feet. That in turn was leading to Natasha’s plans for the evening: a nice, hot bath for the both of them. 

She was in the middle of drawing the bath when she heard the door open and then a pair of keys getting dropped into the bowl by the entrance. Natasha made sure the temperature was fine and the tub wouldn’t overflow before poking her head out if the bathroom. 

“Hey.”

“God, you’re a sight for sore eyes…”

Natasha smiled and stopped the water and then came to kiss her cheek and help her out of her jacket. 

“You’re about to love me even more. Bath’s ready and waiting for you.”

Maria moaned and smiled gratefully. She kissed Natasha softly and then followed her into the bathroom. Natasha helped her out of the rest of her clothes. She was a little banged up and sore but otherwise fine. Natasha stripped in the time it took Maria to get into the water and then joined her. They sat together, Natasha leaning back against Maria gently. She’d tried being the one in the back once when Maria had been hurt and Maria hadn’t cared for it. She liked holding Natasha after long missions over being held by her. 

“Thank you.”

Natasha hummed softly and relaxed against her when she felt Maria relax too. Moments like these were nice. The water was the perfect temperature and Maria was back and here and with her. Maria kissed her shoulder and smiled against her skin and Natasha took her hand to interlace their fingers. She loved taking baths together. There was no better way to ring out a day; ever. 


	11. Bones

“Nat?” Maria shouted from the backyard, “Why is there a pile of bones in the yard?”

Natasha came to peek out the door, a sheepish expression on her face. Next to Maria lay a pile of bones easily reaching her ankles. 

“Do I need to cover for something here? Please tell me these aren’t human bones.”

“They’re not! I promise. They’re, um, for dogs…”

“Natasha…” 

She looked up at the warning tone in Maria’s voice and bit her lip softly. They hadn’t talked about it much; nothing past a mention of Maria’s favorite kind of dog breed and a few longing looks. Natasha had taken initiative. Or rather, she was in the midst of it. 

“Okay, so, before you get mad that there’s bones-“

“There are at least twenty here, Natasha!”

“- come upstairs with me.”

Maria joined her inside, carefully stepping past the bones again, and then followed her upstairs. Natasha lead the way to the guest room and then stood aside to let Maria enter. Waiting inside was a small bundle of black fur and as soon as Maria stepped closer, the puppy lifted his head and wagged his tail excitedly. Maria just stood there, completely dumbfounded. 

“Nat?”

He came to check out the newcomer, lifting his little paw to Maria’s leg and she finally knelt down to pat him. 

“I considered just getting a grown up but he was too cute to say no to…” Natasha explained. 

The newfoundland pup licked Maria’s face and she chuckled, beaming. 

“You do know that there are toy bones for dogs, right? And that even with real ones, they don’t need that many?”

The silence that followed the question was an answer in and of itself and Maria shook her head, amused. For someone as smart as Natasha, it sometimes surprised her just how off the mark she could be. 


	12. Sand

“You told him that?” Maria asked, laughing. 

Natasha grinned and shrugged, putting on her sunglasses. She watched Maria grab hers as well as a bag and then they were off. 

The drive to the beach took less than ten minutes. Natasha took their towels out of the bag and spread them out so they could lie down and roast in the sun. She was looking forward to today. Maria joined her and smiled as they both removed their shirts. Natasha’s scar was quite noticeable but she’d never minded it. If anyone else did, well, that was their problem. Natasha dug her toes into the sand and smiled. It was so white and soft, and not too hot. Maria let some of the sand run through her fingers. It was beautiful here. 

They had earned this vacation, though it had taken some convincing on Natasha’s part to actually make it happen. But sitting here together, surrounded by a white beach and the ocean, and barely a soul in sight yet was definitely worth it. Seeing Natasha in her bikini was certainly another plus to this whole thing.

“This is nice…”

“It is. I don’t remember the last time I’ve been to the beach.”

“We should do this more often,” Natasha smiled, lifting her sunglasses.

Maria was a sight in the sun, the white sand making her appear quite tanned. Natasha was never going to get over how gorgeous her girlfriend was. Nor how ripped. It was quite distracting. She let her sunglasses fall back down to cover her eyes and then got up to walk around the beach a little. The sand felt nice beneath her feet and the breeze made the heat easier to deal with. It was perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maria's comment is in reference to Natasha's "bye, bye, bikinis" line in The Winter Soldier


	13. Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit the first thing that came to mind was smut but I wanted to keep this at the current rating and, honestly, I know this is much better. No angst, I promise! Just Nat having feels. This also ended up about twice as long as the previous ones.

“Okay, who hurt you?”

Natasha’s head snapped up and she looked at Clint in confusion, not bothering to hide her frown. 

“What are you talking about?”

He raised an eyebrow and sat down in front of her, giving her another once over. Natasha glared at him. She hated it when he did that. 

“Who hurt you?”

“Why do you think anyone hurt me?”

“Because I know you. I know the tells of when you’re in pain or upset and you’ve been both for at least a week.”

Natasha blinked and then laughed with a shake of her head. She was not having this conversation, nor would she even begin to admit that something was up. Nope. No way. 

“I’m not. Your reading’s off.”

She left with a forced grin and went to hide away in her quarters, now that Clint brought out her thoughts again. He was right and it was a problem that he’d picked up on it. 

She spent four hours in her quarters before screwing her eyes shut with an annoyed groan. She was a master spy, she could do this. She left for Hill’s office. 

Once there, she stopped short of actually entering. Her heart beat so loud in her ears and her chest hurt with it. It wasn’t so much who hurt her but what made her hurt. Her feelings for Maria did. She loved her so much it hurt; hurt to be around her, hurt to look at her… It hurt. 

She was about to turn on her heel when the door opened and she found herself face to face with the woman she cared so much for. 

“Natasha?”

“Sorry, I was just about to leave.”

“Wait, what’s up? This isn’t the first time you’ve been out here without coming in.”

Natasha tried to hide the way her nerves made her want to tremble and bolt. Her heart was aching. She didn’t even know when it happened. 

“Nothing.”

Maria looked at her, narrowed her eyes briefly, and then tugged her into her office. She kept her grip light so Natasha could withdraw if she wanted but she was too struck by her touch to do it. 

“Talk to me, Nat.”

“I…”

Maria waited, watching her and Natasha felt it like a punch in the gut. Those eyes always took her breath away and that, too, hurt. 

“Natasha…” Maria said softly. 

“Stop. Please. I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“This. My stupid feelings. Everything. Why is this so hard? It’s not supposed to be. It’s not supposed to hurt so much.”

Natasha was rambling and Maria was quite lost at this point, trying to decipher what it was Natasha was actually saying. 

“You’re not making sense.”

Finally, Natasha steeled herself and took a deep breath that ended up quite shaky. She looked up at Maria and almost lost her nerve again. 

“It is… physically painful how much I love you,” she said, and though she’d meant to say it confidently, it came out a whisper. 

Maria’s eyes widened and she swallowed, letting her words sink in. Then it all started to make sense to her. The ghost of an expression on Natasha’s face during meetings, the way she sparred with her like she was afraid of actually breaking her. She’d been so blind. 

“You love me?”

Natasha didn’t think she could talk again so she just nodded and then stared at Maria’s boots. She missed Maria’s slow smile and almost choked on a breath when she felt Maria’s finger on her chin to make her look at her. Maria smiled softly but not condescendingly, Natasha noted. The flicker of hope in the pit of her stomach drowned out the beaing of her heart, still too fast and hard. 

“I like you, Nat.”

“But?”

“No but. I like you. Wanna go out?”

And Natasha _did_ forget how to breathe when she nodded and Maria smiled so brilliantly back at her. 


	14. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Valentines Day so I turned this into a V-Day fic.

Maria had rented them a cabin by a lake up in Canada for the week. It was their first Valentine’s Day together and though neither one of them really cared much about the holiday, she’d wanted to do something semi special. It was nice here, albeit a bit chilly at this time a year. Natasha thought it was perfect. She’d been patient the whole way up because Maria had refused to tell her where exactly they were going. In fact, past telling her to pack for a week after asking her whether or not she trusted Maria, Maria hadn’t told her anything about the trip at all. Finally stepping into the cabin, Natasha took a curious look around. Maria watched her from the doorway. She’d been here before; it belonged to a friend. 

“Maria! There’s a fireplace!” Natasha said excitedly. 

She had a soft spot for those and Maria was well aware of it. She chuckled softly and joined Natasha who was already sitting in front of it despite it not being in use. 

“I’ll take it we’re going to make use of this tonight?”

It was already somewhat late by now. They’d had dinner on the way. At Natasha’s eager nod, Maria smiled and went to the kitchen. 

“Find us a blanket and I’ll get us the drinks.”

Natasha didn’t need to be told twice. She got up in search of a blanket and after checking several closets found one that was both massive and soft to the touch. It’d be perfect. She returned with it just in time for Maria to finish preparing their drinks. 

Maria came back with two mugs of hot chocolate, pieces of marshmallow floating in one of them. She handed that one to Natasha and put her own down on the floor so she could start the fire. She threw in a couple of pieces of wood and opened the damper before lighting the fire. Natasha watched, fascinated by the precision and ease with which Maria handled each step. Once done, Maria took the poker so she could sit with Natasha, letting it rest in front of them for easy access. She grabbed her mug and Natasha wrapped the blanket around them both, sitting so their shoulders were touching. They watched the flames grow together; watched embers and the way the fire seemed to visually heat up their surroundings. 

Natasha snuggled into Maria’s side, holding her mug of hot chocolate between her hands as she continued to watch the fire. She rested her head on Maria’s shoulder and Maria wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Nat.”

Natasha smiled and hummed softly, lifting her head just long enough to press a kiss against her cheek. It was perfect. 


	15. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutouts to Charlie for the general idea of this, even if this isn't quite what they had in mind. All dialogue is meant in good faith and humour. They're just being dramatic for the sake of it.

Maria’s gasp was loud and dramatic and she stared, eyes wide and mouth open. 

“How could you?! I thought we had something!”

The look of utter betrayal on Maria’s face made Natasha snort ungracefully. 

“You asked for it.”

“I did not. It’s not my fault I finally found something you suck at.”

This time it was Natasha who looked completely outraged and she fired another shot at her. 

“Stop that!”

“I suck, huh?”

“At every other part of this, yeah.”

“Wow, Maria, wow.”

“You just shot me, Nat. Twice. I thought you loved me.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and did it again when she got the chance. Maria huffed and glared at her. 

“Three; you’re out,” Natasha smirked. 

“This is why we can’t have nice things.”

A knock on the door caught their attention and Clint poked his head in. 

“I know those faces,” he said with narrowed eyes, his gaze flitting over to the screen.

“I won fair and square,” Natasha said at the same time as Maria said: “She had it out for me because she sucks at driving.”

Maria raised an eyebrow and Natasha looked back at her, offended. Clint snickered from his spot. It was always the same with Natasha. 

“Tasha, I hate to break it to you but you’re the worst Mario Kart player I have ever seen. And I’ve seen Thor play.”

Natasha glared at him, pouting: “Traitor.”

“Now you know what it feels like,” Maria grinned. 

Natasha continued pouting and Maria laughed softly. It was hard to be even a little bit upset with her when she did that and they both knew it. Natasha used it to get out of trouble all the time. 

“Anyway, I’m only here to tell you guys that dinner’s here.”

They turned off the game and the TV and then joined Clint, the betrayals of Mario Kart forgotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reminds me of that comics where Steve is outraged that Nat hit him with a blue shell. On one hand, I adore the idea that Natasha is actually really good at Mario Kart but on the other hand, I wrote this and she sucks at it real bad. Except for battle mode. She is ruthless and there are no friends in battle mode.


	16. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is quite possibly one of the sweetest and sappiest things I've written yet but with a prompt like that, it really wasn't difficult.

Home, to Natasha, meant a lot of different things. It meant going on morning runs with Sam and Steve. It meant coffee with Maria and tea with Bruce. Home was watching movies with everyone in the tower and coming back to worried faces when she was banged up after a mission. It was the way setting foot in the tower put her at ease and how she felt warm being surrounded by the team. 

Natasha had never had a home before. She’d lived places she liked and others she didn’t but she’d never felt at home in any of them. She’d never been attached; not to people and not to places. It was easier that way. She hadn’t needed a home. 

Watching the team bicker over which movie to watch and what games to play made her realize how much she’d missed out on in her life. She wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world, even if they drove her mad sometimes. She watched them argue, watched Maria roll her eyes and deciding for them, and that, too, was home. The way Maria took control of any situation, the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy and how her lips tugged into small smiles when she was trying not to let them show. 

Maria was home as much as the rest of them, except perhaps more if that stubborn feeling in her stomach was any indication. Home was making Maria laugh and watching her curse at the stove in the morning when she was still too tired to function properly. Home, to Natasha, meant the way her heart always skipped a beat when Maria smiled at her. One day, she planned on telling Maria that she felt like home; warm and loving and welcoming. 


	17. Animal

Maria had never been to Natasha’s apartment. In fact, she hadn’t even known Natasha _had_ an apartment until just a couple of days ago, when Natasha had invited her over. She’d accepted, of course, which was how she found herself here now. Natasha stood by the door, watching her take it all in; not that there was much to see. Natasha’s apartment was pretty barebones. Something caught Maria’s eye and she turned to the kitchen where she found a small black ball of fur on the counter. 

“You have a cat?”

Natasha joined her and rolled her eyes at Liho. She went over and picked up the cat, who immediately stretched in her arms and rubbed her face against Natasha’s. 

“You know you’re not allowed on there, you tiny demon,” she told the cat before turning to Maria, “Liho isn’t my cat. I just feed her when she follows me home.”

Maria raised her eyebrow but smiled. They made a cute pair. She grinned and reached out her hand to let Liho sniff it and decide whether or not she would be allowed to pat. 

“Sounds like she’s your cat. And she’s cute. You fit together.”

“Are you saying I’m cute?”

Maria grinned and scratched Liho’s head when she was allowed to. 

“Maybe. Come on, tell me more about this cat that isn’t your car but is also most definitely your cat.”

Natasha stuck her tongue out at her and put the small cat back down before they all went to settle on the couch and Natasha told her about the first time Liho had followed her inside. 


	18. Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This can be seen as a continuation of Day 9, Life.

Natasha sighed deeply at the sight in front of her. She didn’t deserve this. She did _not_.

“Why are you like this? Why do you only ever make a mess with me?” 

The little boy in front of her laughed happily, his face smeared with yoghurt. He’d even managed to get some into his short hair, and also all over the floor, table, and his clothes. 

She shook her head and grabbed a washcloth to attempt getting him clean. The door opened while she was in the middle of cleaning up his face. He reached for Natasha with yoghurt-covered fingers and smeared it into her hair when he grabbed it. Maria chuckled softly from the doorway and Natasha turned to her with an almost helpless look in her eyes. 

“Yoghurt is a great color on you,” Maria grinned. 

She joined them when Natasha had finished with his face. 

“You’re awful, and he gets it from you, the tiny monster.”

Maria kissed her cheek with a smile and lifted their son out of his chair to go change him while Natasha cleaned the rest of his mess. 

“You love him.”

“Never said otherwise,” Natasha grinned, “He’s still a little monster though. I swear he does it on purpose.”

As if on cue, the little boy giggled again and beamed in Natasha’s direction. Maria raised an eyebrow. 

“He knows how cute he is.”

“Uh-huh,” Maria laughed, finally leaving the room to get him into clothes that weren’t full of yoghurt. 


	19. Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that Maria can use any weapon you give her perfectly on the first try but when looking to check whether that was meant exclusively for firearms, I couldn't find it again. But that's a cool bit of info on her. Also, Sif is here, and this is a little short.

Natasha had said it as a complete throwaway comment. 

_“Maria is amazing with any kind of weapon.”_

She hadn’t expected Sif to look so intrigued. She definitely hadn’t expected her to give Maria her sword. Sif’s sword. Maria held it in her hand like she’d had years of practice, turning it this way and that, testing the weight and balance of it. Sif smiled, watching her handle it with so much care. She didn’t give away her weapon often but Maria certainly was worthy of it. 

Natasha watched, helplessly smitten, as Sif instructed Maria on how to use it. They went over basic movements together and Sif was thoroughly impressed with how little she had to correct Maria. Her stance was perfect, her grip equally so. She didn’t exaggarate her movements and followed Sif’s guidance like she’d never done anything else in her life. 

They practiced for hours and even went so far as to spar together: Sif with her shield against Maria and the sword. It looked like a well-rehearsed choreography from where Natasha was watching. It was impressive to say the least. Maria really could use any weapon, and apparently that didn’t just include firearms. 

When Maria turned towards Natasha, sweaty and beaming, Natasha had a hard time keeping a blush off her face. She really was a sight, fitting right in next to a Goddess. Natasha had it bad. 


	20. Dance

Maria had had a really bad week. Her and her team had been ambushed on what was supposed to be an easy mission. She was a bit banged up and sore but otherwise fine. Her team had been too; Maria was just annoyed. Not to mention the mountain of paperwork that was waiting for her on her desk. 

Natasha slipped into her office quietly and closed the door behind her. Maria looked up when the door opened and closed. Her and Natasha weren’t quite friends yet but they got along well enough. Natasha never just stopped by though which meant more work and Maria was already fed up with what she had. Natasha carried no files with her though but her face was unreadeable so Maria really couldn’t tell. 

“Five minutes?”

Maria sighed and rubbed her temple. She raised an eyebrow at Natasha who held out her hand with a smile. 

“Come on.”

“Five minutes for what?”

But Natasha didn’t elaborate, just waited with a small smile on her face. Maria caved and got up, then rounded her desk to stand in the middle of her office with Natasha. 

“Natasha…”

“Just trust me. Five minutes.”

Maria nodded and Natasha lifted a hand to take hers, the other settling at her waist. Maria let her, swallowing hard and frowning a little. She lifted her hand to Natasha’s waist anyway. Natasha looked so small this close. 

Maria didn’t dance. She was terrible at it. But swaying on the spot with Natasha in her arms was nice. Natasha didn’t correct the placement of her hand or her footing and the clumsy steps that followed Natasha’s movements. Natasha was still smiling softly and Maria couldn’t help but mirror it. 

They danced, barely leaving the spot they’d started on, swaying more than moving. It was nice. Maria felt herself relax despite herself and the tension ebbed away with every minute. 

Natasha stopped after the five minutes she had requested but didn’t immediately remove her hands. Maria was the first to do it and she smiled at Natasha warmly when the redhead looked up at her. 

“Thank you.”

“And you,” Natasha returned.

Natasha took a step back and then headed towards the door. Maria watched her, still waiting, though for what she didn’t know. 

“Maybe we could do this again some time,” Natasha offered at the door, “I could teach you how to actually dance.”

Maria chuckled and nodded. She’d like that. 


	21. Silent

Oftentimes, where S.H.I.E.L.D. was concerned, silence wasn’t a thing that existed. People were always moving about, always talking or typing or taking notes. There was so rarely pure silence that when it happened, it always felt monumental. The closest it ever got was when they were alone in their quarters. It wasn’t perfect but it was enough. 

Natasha could never make up her mind about silence. On the one hand, she hated how it let her mind wander and her thoughts run wild, but on the other hand, after a day full of noise, it was nice to just exist somewhere quiet. Lately, her mind settled closer to the latter. 

Late at night, when it was just her and Maria and for once she could just _be_. Her thoughts still went all over the place but she felt calmer now, more at ease. They didn’t linger on her past quite so much anymore and instead settled on the way she felt with Maria by her side. How Maria seemed to calm her mind and her heart. It was nice. She liked it. She liked spending time in silence, just sitting together without the need to talk. She liked moments like these when they lay together, barely touching but assured the other was there. 

She was grateful, more than anything. Natasha had spent years being unable to silence her brain and her guilt. Maria did it so effortlessly. Just a smile from across the room or a gentle touch in the dark. Maria didn’t need to speak to convey her thoughts; to make Natasha know what she felt and thought of her. Natasha loved her for it. She loved her for a lot of reasons but nobody else had made her able to enjoy silence as much as Maria had, and that meant more to Natasha than she could put into words. 


	22. Glass

It had started with a mission to Berlin. Natasha had spotted the small glass bear in a souvenir shop and found it too cute to pass up on. She’d left it on Maria’s desk after their mission debrief and from then on, she’d made a habit out of it. She’d bought a glass otter in Vancouver, a koala in Sydney, a cow somewhere in Switzerland. Maria had a small collection that she didn’t know where to put. She’d kept all of them; at first out of amusement and now out of sentimentality. 

It was a tradition of sorts now. A terribly odd one, sure, but Maria found herself looking forward to each new glass figurine. It was sweet. They never talked about it or acknowledged it in any way. It was just a thing that was. Natasha never failed to bring one back with her. Maria wished she could return the favor, if only to see how Natasha would react. She didn’t get the chance to, sadly, since she very rarely ended up in the field. It was a shame, actually. 

It was nice then, when Maria was down in Angola and spotted the smallest glass penguin. She chuckled to herself and immediately bought it. 

She left it in Natasha’s quarters, with some help from Clint who was surprisingly quiet and didn’t ask any questions. Natasha found it there and stopped dead in her tracks. She picked it up and laughed, a slow smile spreading across her face. 

She found Maria in her office the next morning and Maria looked up when she entered. 

“Why a penguin? Why not a sable antelope?”

“Because those are shy and you’re not. Penguins are both adorable and little shits. It fit better.”

Natasha opened her mouth to say something but she wasn’t sure what to focus on. 

“I don’t know whether to be offended, amused, or flattered,” she said, “I’m adorable?”

“I have an entire glass case full of tiny glass figurines you brought me for three years now, Nat. That’s kind of adorable.”

Natasha grinned, pleased to hear she’d kept all of them. They’d never spoken about this before after all. Natasha had never known what Maria did with them. 

“So I’m an adorable little shit, am I?”

“Absolutely,” Maria grinned. 

“Do you go out with those?”

Maria’s grin faded to a fond smile that made Natasha’s own lips tug up into one. 

“Only the ones that bring me cute little glass figurines from all over the world.”

Natasha chuckled and smiled at her and Maria returned the smile. In the end, it had only taken Natasha a few years to ask her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted Maria to get her a penguin figurine so I looked up where penguins live and I liked Angola since my dad was stationed there way back when. Angola's national animal is the giant sable antelope though :)


	23. Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably more plants than flowers but.... Eh? Close enough.

As it turned out, Natasha was absolutely incapable of keeping plants alive. Any house plant unlucky enough to be in her apartment died in days, even the low maintenance ones she sometimes bought when she knew she wouldn’t be around much. It was a skill in and of itself, to kill plants that quickly while trying to keep them alive. 

Clint liked to tease her about it. Steve bought her flowers for her birthday that somehow died within a day despite Natasha putting them in water right away. She sighed and left the dead bouquet in the vase for a week. That was how Maria found out about the whole thing. Natasha was quick to shrug it off but Maria could tell it genuinely bothered her, especially this time. 

So Maria did the only logical thing she could think of. She came back a week later with a bunch of plastic plants and flowers and Natasha tried really hard to hide the smile that broke through. This was the nicest thing ever and she was grateful that Maria hadn’t teased her but instead had found an alternative for her. She took the flowers and held them for a few moments, just looking at them, before remembering she should probably move to put them somewhere. 

“Thank you.”

Maria smiled at her and helped her put the plants where she wanted them. 

“These are pretty.”

“And they won’t die on you.”

“Yes…” Natasha smiled. 

She liked having something in her apartment that reminded her of Maria. Maria, who had always seen more in Natasha even when Natasha had doubted herself. She’d find upsides to her downsides, just like now with the flowers and the rest of these plants. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend gave me a rose for my birthday once and I put it in a vase with just the right amount of water and it still died the very next day. Which is what inspired this story.


	24. Pirate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already wrote a pirate au so I didn't go down that path and ended up with this instead. It's twice as long as most of the others. Maria would make a hot pirate, it's not my fault.

It was Halloween and, for once, everyone had agreed to come to Tony’s _Avengers and Associates only_ party. Natasha had only agreed because Clint had insisted (and because Maria had agreed to come, though she didn’t know that was because Natasha would be there). Natasha still didn’t quite get the part about dressing up as adults but she had found something she liked well enough that wasn’t a sexist or racist costume. Tony was utterly disappointed when she didn’t show up as a sexy anything, but instead dressed as a princess from some video game Clint liked. Her dress was long and a pale turquoise and she wore a blonde wig to finish the look. Nobody except Clint got the reference and, honestly, she was happy with that. 

She scanned the crowd to see what everyone else had come as; Thor was dressed like a viking, Clint had come as a poor Dracula, Bruce was doing Frankenstein’s monster (that joke wasn’t lost on anyone), Tony wore a Batman costume (“Get it?”), and Steve was a surfer. It was all around pretty great. Everyone else was dressed in the more boring costumes but still looked great. 

That seemed to be a complete understatement when Natasha laid eyes on Maria across the room. She hadn’t even recognized her at first. Maria was dressed as a pirate and Natasha had no idea what it was about the get-up but Natasha forgot how to breathe for a moment. Nothing about the costume was special except that Maria was the one wearing it and apparently she pulled off ruggedly handsome with a side of smugness really well. 

Natasha approached her with a beer in her hand and grinned up at her once she joined her. 

“Hi.”

Maria looked at her and took in the dress, then smiled at Natasha. 

“Hi. You came.”

“I did. Clint insisted. It’s not so bad.”

“No, it really isn’t…”

Natasha smiled and drank from her bottle to hide the way her eyes seemed to be unable to look away from her. 

“You look good. Pirate suits you.”

“And you,” Maria said softly and Natasha hoped she wasn’t imagining the way her cheeks flushed at the compliment. “A princess?”

“Mhmm… I watched Clint play this game and I didn’t wanna show up as a sexy nurse or something and fuel Stark’s fantasies.”

“Well, you look lovely. Princess suits you.”

This time it was Natasha who tried to keep the blush at bay. Maria had a knack for reducing her to being an idiot. She was just so gorgeous it made Natasha forget how to function. Maria seemed to notice if her small grin was any indication but the look in her eyes was fond and spread warmth through Natasha. 

“You’re by far the prettiest pirate I’ve ever seen but don’t tell Clint or he’ll be upset.”

Maria laughed and that alone put a smile on Natasha’s face. 

“What do you think about all the others?”

“A little sad, cute, perfect fit, too obvious, and funny,” she listed off, nodding at Clint, Steve, Thor, Bruce, and Tony in order.

Maria toasted to that with her own beer and leaned a little closer to Natasha. 

“You’ve never gone to one of these before,” Natasha pointed out. 

“You were never here before.”

“Oh.”

Maria smiled softly and Natasha hid her blush behind another sip of her beer before grabbing her hand and dragging her back towards the rest of the group so they could mingle. It made Maria laugh but she followed without a word of complaint. Natasha turned back to her just before they reached the others and smiled at her. 

“Favorite pirate,” she winked. 

“Favorite princess,” Maria returned quietly. 

This party shaped up to be absolutely wonderful as far as Natasha was concerned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookies for anyone who gets Natasha's costume. It took me way too long to settle on something for her and this is apparently what I settled on.


	25. Ruin

Natasha, despite having travelled a lot, had never been to some of the places on Earth she really wanted to see. She’d been at the Great Wall of China, she’d seen the Eiffel Tower, and she’d been to the Niagara Falls. They had all been absolutely stunning and she was glad she’d gotten the chance to actually take in the sights. Still, something had always been missing. Now she rarely even had the time to travel anywhere for personal pleasures and sightseeings. 

The timing of Steve’s curious “Where in the world would you go if you could?” felt far too perfect to be coincidence but she didn’t question it. Steve had a lot of the world left to see after all. Out of everyone, Natasha had probably travelled the most so asking her made sense. 

“Always wanted to see Maccu Picchu.”

“Those ruins in Peru? I heard they’re quite impressive.”

“Yeah… Never got around to it,” she shrugged. 

  
Natasha didn’t make a connection between that conversation from weeks ago to the mission that took her to Peru, near the ruins she’d wanted to see for years now. She finished it easily and with plenty of time left and she could hear the smile in Maria’s voice when she called in her success. 

“Take a day to yourself,” Maria suggested. “I hear Peru has some very beautiful places to see.”

Natasha was silent for a moment, letting her words sink in and wondering _how_.

“Maria… Did you-?”

Natasha had no idea how to finish that question. Did she talk to Steve? Did Steve tell her about their conversation? Did Maria get her on this mission specifically so she could steal a few hours away to herself? 

“Enjoy your day off, Natasha.”

Natasha smiled softly and thanked her quietly. She’d repay the favor one day. And she would definitely find something to bring back for Maria. Maybe next time they could both go, together. 


	26. Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to continue the theme of the last prompt and go with the building but this is way cuter and sappier and probably, maybe, gives Home a run for its money.

Natasha’s new favorite thing were the little kisses Maria pressed against her temple. She did it just before falling asleep, and when they made breakfast together or the few times they’d snuggle up on the couch. Maria did it every chance she got, in fact. She even snuck in a few when they were alone at work, either in the medbay or her office. It was always soft and gentle, just the right amount of pressure to make Natasha’s insides flutter and her heart skip a few beats. It was nice. 

Natasha was the one who tucked her head under Maria’s chin, fitting perfectly, and Maria used each time to press another kiss to her temple. They were reassurances and promises. Natasha loved them. She loved waking up to the feeling of Maria’s lips against her temple and falling asleep to it. It even made a stay in the medbay worth it for a stolen moment and a touch and a kiss. 

She found some comfort in the gesture when she lay with Maria in her bed on the helicarrier, injured and beyond exhausted. Her last mission had been a disaster and she’d barely made it out alive. Maria had been there, on the flight deck, itching to hold her. She’d waited until they’d gone back to Natasha’s quarters. Naatasha was still just trying to breathe through the pain in her chest when Maria pressed her lips against her skin and somehow that made it easier. She felt like she could breathe again and, more importantly, she was still here to enjoy moments like these, when it was just her and Maria and those soft kisses she had no idea what she’d done to deserve. She wouldn’t give this up for anything. 


	27. Sunrise

The first time they kissed, the sun was just rising over the alps. It was a breathtaking sight; one that neither one of them actually noticed since they were too busy looking at each other. It was still beautiful. They smiled at each other, foreheads touching, faces dirty from their mission. Another kiss followed, just as soft as the first. There was no better place and time for this than now. The light enveloped them both in a golden yellow and that was another memory that stuck with them, along with the fresh mountain air and the grovel beneath their feet, and the way their eyes shone in the light.

Having a first proper date at sunrise was unreasonable, even for them, but they fixed it for just around sunset. It wasn’t quite the same but it was close enough. The purple light that covered the sky was a beautiful backdrop and reminiscent of their first kiss. It was perfect. They ended the date with another kiss under the setting sun, holding hands to anchor each other. 

The first time Maria told Natasha she loved her was just after sunrise, right as they woke up and Natasha looked at her, bathed in the early morning sun and with the softest expression on her face. Maria was unable to keep it in any longer. Natasha beamed at her, eyes wide and then leaned up to kiss her before telling her she loved her too. Natasha wrapped herself around Maria and tucked her head under her chin, feeling the heartbeat beneath her skin. 

Natasha stood on the balcony of Stark Tower, watching the sun rise over New York. Maria was away on a mission but Natasha still got up early to watch. Today marked the anniversary of their first kiss, a date Natasha kept close to her heart. She was always up for sunrise on this day. She toyed with the box in her pocket absently. When Maria came back, and they’d had a few days for her to unwind, she’d ask her. 


	28. Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maria gets to be the sappy one this time.

They had decided on a roadtrip for their anniversary. They’d been dating for two years now and the trip had seemed like the perfect vacation idea. They were free to go and sleep wherever they wanted in the van they’d rented. The freedom it came with was just too good to pass up. It had been Natasha’s idea to get a van. She just wanted to be on the road as much as possible. 

Their first stop was the beach. Natasha was especially fond of these so Maria had included as many stops to as many beaches as she could reasonably fit. 

Maria’s immediate favorite part about the roadtrip was seeing Natasha relaxed in the van and watching the surroundings pass by. Her next favorite thing were the times they were sitting in the back of the van together. Or more specifically, when Natasha lay on their makeshift bed with a content expression, or propped up to read. Maria snapped a few photos of these moments, to keep for later. Natasha called her a sap when she noticed. Still, the way Natasha relaxed and smiled at her in the sun warmed her heart and made her insides feel funny. It made her fall in love with Natasha a little more every day. 

Another one of her favorite discoveries about Natasha came up while she was driving. They had the radio on and Natasha was behind the wheel, eyes on the road. She was singing along to whatever came up on the radio and Maria couldn’t help but watch her. Even after two years together, and several years of friendship before that, it always took Maria’s breath away when Natasha sang. That alone was worth hours on the road. Maria was never going to get tired of this; of being in the van, of spending hours on the road with Natasha… of being with Natasha. 

The thought hit her hard and she tore her gaze away from Natasha and onto the road ahead. Maybe, at the end of this trip, Maria could tell her about that revelation. 


	29. Ethereal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. Thank you all so much for coming back to these and a big thank you to everyone who has left a comment here, or liked/reblogged them on tumblr. Thank you <3

Maria had always thought that the way Natasha moved as she fought was breathtaking; ethereal even. Otherwordly. There was something about the way no movement was wasted and the precision of each one of them that captivated Maria. She could watch her for hours. Sometimes, in the gym or during training exercises, her eyes were glued to Natasha’s small frame. She took down men twice her size without breaking a sweat. It was impressive, to say the least. 

Maria also found that a lot of that precision translated into other parts of Natasha’s life. She found those just as captivating; just as otherwordly. It was silly, really, but Maria was terribly smitten with her. A lot of Natasha’s interactions with others were carefully presented and calculated. She was polite and professional with most people but it never felt quite right to Maria. It was different with Clint. Natasha was open with him and part of Maria had the desperate wish to get that part of Natasha as well. 

So the first time Natasha smiled at her in a way that was so genuine and made her whole face light up, Maria forgot how to breathe. _Ethereal_. There it was again, that word, in the back of her mind. The word she associated so strongly with Natasha. Maria wasn’t embarrassed to admit to that, at least to herself. Natasha could be from another planet and Maria wouldn’t be surprised to hear it. Something about her had always struck Maria as out of this world. 

Maria blurted it out to Natasha one morning and immediately shut her mouth again, eyes wide. Natasha looked absolutely gorgeous in the early morning sun and Maria had once again felt completely breathless looking at her. 

“Ethereal?”

“Yup…” Maria said, popping the ‘p’.

Natasha laughed and Maria smiled fondly. Definitely out of this world. 


End file.
